Maggie's FarmWe are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for. |
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Sunday, January 9. 2022Another Scottish rebel songThe Scots were easily defeated by the Redcoats at Culloden, after which Bonnie Prince Charlie escaped to Skye disguised as a woman. The Skye Boat Song which, somewhat modified, is the theme song of the Outlander series:
EpiphanyMatthew 2:1-12 2:1 In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, 2:2 asking, "Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage." 2:3 When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; 2:4 and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. 2:5 They told him, "In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet: 2:6 'And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.'" 2:7 Then Herod secretly called for the wise men and learned from them the exact time when the star had appeared. 2:8 Then he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, "Go and search diligently for the child; and when you have found him, bring me word so that I may also go and pay him homage." 2:9 When they had heard the king, they set out; and there, ahead of them, went the star that they had seen at its rising, until it stopped over the place where the child was. 2:10 When they saw that the star had stopped, they were overwhelmed with joy. 2:11 On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. 2:12 And having been warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they left for their own country by another road. Saturday, January 8. 2022My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean
Saturday morning linksHow Elizabeth Holmes fleeced the elites - Big investors were all too willing to believe the Theranos hype. The more liberal the church, the emptier the pews. People do not go to church for politics. Inside Florida, the state that forgot COVID-19 is a national emergency Flexing Their Muscle - The Chicago Teachers Union–imposed school shutdown is about politics, not the pandemic. China takes over as West cowers over climate change fears Maxwell May Get A Second Trial, But What About the Rest of Epstein’s “Significant Others”? The Great Epstein Cover-Up, Part 1 Blind recruitment trial to boost gender equality making things worse, study reveals Academic Activists Send a Published Paper Down the Memory Hole The Case Against the Case Against AI Climate Change Sanity MASK DELUSION: A FOOTNOTE Supreme Court Justice Exhibits Shocking Lack of Basic COVID Knowledge During Hearing “Preserve the Narrative”: The Public Rejects the “Insurrection” Claim in New Polling The Democrats’ Hispanic Voter Problem - It's Not As Bad As You Think—It’s Worse Friday, January 7. 2022Risotto ai Frutti di MareIt's a favorite of diving ducks, and of mine. The US lacks tiny European clams and cockles, but we have Cherrystones - small clams. Clams, shrimp, squid, scallops, mussels. It's the seafood broth that makes it: Seafood Risotto (Risotto ai Fruitti di Mare) Best idea is to go to an Italian seaport town, and ask for it. LimpetsIn winter, our diving ducks like shellfish and sea worms. Presumably, they swallow shellfish whole, digest them, and poop out the shells. Not sure they can digest a shell. I wonder whether Buffleheads can dislodge and eat Limpets. My photo is a beach of pure limpets (aka Slipper Shells). Something ate them, and I saw only Buffleheads. Do we have an expert on diving ducks here? Friday morning links
Cull of 150,000 deer aims to save Scottish forests Restoring forests can be difficult For the First Time Ever, the Best-Selling Carmaker in America Isn't an American Carmaker Mike Pompeo tells The Post how he lost 90 pounds in six months Why the Science of Teaching Is Often Ignored. There’s a whole literature on what works. But it’s not making its way into the classroom. The combination works best: A lecture plus small groups to work it out 'Go Get Another Job': Democrats and Republicans Lambaste Teachers' Unions Sorry, but online teaching is of limited value in many subjects NYT wonders: Why is highly vaccinated China locking down again? So long, heroes: Mayo Clinic fires 700 workers over vaccination mandate Professor Gets Mad After People Notice Rather Significant Error About Rittenhouse in Her Book No, he did not shoot 3 black guys Unions shut record 4,783 schools across US this week despite assurances classrooms are safe: Arizona Governor offers long-suffering parents up to $7,000 to send kids to private schools or pay for tuition Sullivan: The Woke: On The Wrong Side Of History - We need a racial politics for 2119, not 1619. Latinos will lead the way.
"as the Big Tech giants continue to push the envelope to see how far they can get in suppressing conservative dissent, at some point they could start to lose market share very quickly." In that, MC linked this: Disrobing the Aboriginal Stalinists on a Canadian Campus DeSantis Derangement Syndrome a Boon for Florida GOP Turley: Destroying a Democracy to Save it: Democrats Call for the Disqualification of Dozens of Republican Members What’s behind unrest rocking oil-rich Kazakhstan Why President Biden Will End Up Giving Putin What He Wants In Ukraine How can the US "give" something it doesn't own? What Joe Biden can learn from Trump’s Iran policy Thursday, January 6. 2022Wednesday morning linksColleges take COVID testing way too far and spread hysteria Experts groan: The CDC's new updated quarantine guidance is more confusing than before Why the Jan. 6 Inquisition Is the Real Enemy of Democracy Democrats And The Media Are Obsessed With January 6th Because They’ve Got Nothing Else New Manhattan DA Claims Decriminalization ‘Will Make Us Safer’ in Memo to Staff The Price of Dissent - A Reuters data scientist questioned the Black Lives Matter narrative—so the company fired him. Emory Law Journal Refuses To Publish Scholarly Article Challenging “Systemic Racism” Finding It “Hurtful and Unnecessarily Divisive” Wednesday, January 5. 2022Wednesday morning linksOn visiting St. Tikhon’s monastery in South Canaan, Pennsylvania The Met Opera's reopening Chronicle: When Professors Offend Students - Classroom norms are changing. Where’s the line, and who decides? Glenn Greenwald: There Is An Addiction To Being Protected By The State, To Not Having A Return To Normal Life Can Democrats Keep Schools Open During Omicron? Chicago Public Schools Close as Teachers’ Union Votes to Strike against In-Person Teaching " One merciful upside to all of this is that there is no more talk of lockdowns. At last, even the experts are saying that society must function. Lockdowns are not even being considered. The whole country is fed up with the phony baloney enterprise of virus control. It did not and cannot work. " Desperation among residents as China cuts off city of 13 million due to outbreak Mass Formation Psychosis is a meme now MASS FORMATION PSYCHOSIS or… mass hypnosis- the madness of crowds Trouble in paradise: The crumbling California model MSNBC’s The ReidOut reports that Officer Brian Sicknick ‘died from wounds inflicted on January 6’ Some Illegal Immigrant Children Shipped from the Southern Border End Up at New York Adoption Agency Is Germany Seeking a Separate Peace in the East? Tuesday, January 4. 2022Tuesday morning linksThe secrets of NYC's best bagels (video) 45 eerie, creepy, and often beautiful abandoned places around the world New England Is One Cold Snap From Energy Doom Viagra — is there anything it can't do? Panicky Would-Be COVID Victims Line Up for Hours to Find Out if They're Sick Infection Experts: We Will "Never" See The End Of Coronavirus How have we gotten here? Mass Formation Psychosis, explained The Covid Insanity Has to End How the 1960s institutionalized us - The long march of the cultural revolution has succeeded beyond its wildest dreams 6 Basic Concepts Liberals Don't Get One more awkward hypocrisy emerges about incident where a police-defunding and ‘bail reform’ advocate Illinois state senator was carjacked The U.S. Is Naive About Russia. Ukraine Can’t Afford to Be. Putin is right about one thing: A free, prosperous, democratic neighbor is a threat to his autocratic regime. Is Biden's Legacy Really Going to Be the Dismantling of Democracies and the Free World? Monday, January 3. 2022Monday morning linksTaliban order beheading of shop mannequins Student receives praise for bogus paper on how milk is a ‘colonizer’ of coffee VDH: The Truths We Dared Not Speak in 2021 - At the end of this terrible year, we are left only with ironies. More VDH: The Ungracious—and Their Demonization of the Past CNN Story Perfectly Captures The Mass Covid Neuroticism Of 2021 National Educators United demands two week pause in school re-opening "The push to open schools is rooted in racism, sexism, and misogyny" After Drumming Out Unvaxxed Servicemembers, Fully Vaccinated and Boosted Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin Tests Positive for COVID Oregon Business Owner Ordered to Remove American Flag Mural on Private Property Three Years Till The Guardian’s Global Climate Catastrophe The New Climate of Panic Among the Panic-Mongers White flag: EU to declare natural gas, nuclear power "green" Ron DeSantis accompanied wife to cancer treatment while critics claimed he was 'missing' 2021’S MAN OF THE YEAR: Ron DeSantis NYC’s New Mayor Eric Adams Calls 911 on His Subway Commute Hours After Being Sworn Into Office (VIDEO) SHAPES OF THINGS: LAPTOP FROM HELL EDITION The party of "Karens": The new Democratic Party alienates nonwhite voters Is Kim Jong-un turning over a new leaf for 2022?
Sunday, January 2. 2022Is your heart in the Highlands?Life in America: Holiday season observations
A happy flock of Robins descended on ye olde HQ and stripped all our our holly shrubs and trees of their berries. (Photo above is Robins eating old apples.) Our church was half-full on Christmas Eve. I believe many people were there online (we stream our services). Covid fears. A friend gave an ageing relative a voice recorder for an oral history. It's not exactly a present except that it is an opportunity for the relative to hand down a gift of the past. Inspired us to do that with my father in law - he's an Irish shanachie and can tell all of the old stories. My life stories would be dull... Yes, the old guy has COVID but it has not been bad other than the quarantine his residence requires. I assume omicron because he is triple-vaxed. Picked it up in some pub or restaurant. Can't keep a good man down. Our wild and crazy NY Eve event was supper at a Thai place. I had 2 glasses of cheap Chardonnay with some max-hot Pad Thai with shrimp. Taking advantage of the slow week, we got our boat fully-registered and legal at the DMV. They were nice. We were already registered as a US Vessel by the Coast Guard, but needed that too. Paperwork. Ever tried building Legos 8 1/2 level? Not easy. Our Christmas gifts were mostly tickets - Met Opera, Carnegie Hall, NYC Ballet. Oh - boutique hotel rooms too. Nice. I was afraid that my wife would give me a new iphone, but luckily she didn't. Have I mentioned that I love visiting NYC? I saw in the Orvis Christmas catalog fly rods costing $1500. Fly-fishing is a beautiful hobby but I do not need that. Bulldog and I need to plan a Maggie's urban hike for 2022. This planning will be tough because we have already covered so much interesting territory, in rain and shine, over the years. We'll also plan a family+friends mountain hike - everybody wants to do Breakneck Ridge again (except Mrs. BD who has never loved rock scrambling)
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From today's LectionaryJohn 1:(1-9), 10-18 1:1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1:2 He was in the beginning with God. 1:3 All things came into being through him, and without him not one thing came into being. What has come into being 1:4 in him was life, and the life was the light of all people. 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. 1:6 There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. 1:7 He came as a witness to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him.
1:8 He himself was not the light, but he came to testify to the light. 1:9 The true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world. 1:10 He was in the world, and the world came into being through him; yet the world did not know him. 1:11 He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him. 1:12 But to all who received him, who believed in his name, he gave power to become children of God, 1:13 who were born, not of blood or of the will of the flesh or of the will of man, but of God. 1:14 And the Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory as of a father's only son, full of grace and truth. 1:15 (John testified to him and cried out, "This was he of whom I said, 'He who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he was before me.'") 1:16 From his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. 1:17 The law indeed was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 1:18 No one has ever seen God. It is God the only Son, who is close to the Father's heart, who has made him known. Saturday, January 1. 2022Rockin into 2022Thanks, Gerard. It's good fun:
Saturday morning linksThe people at the Maggie's HQ wish our readers a healthy and comfortable new year. Good riddance to NYC’s worst mayor ever – Bill de Blasio: Goodwin Colorado Governor Shortens Trucker's Prison Term to 10 Years Should be zero years. Brakes failed. 'The CDC Now Recommends' Is the Joke We All Needed in 2021 Fauci Goes There: Finally Admits Kids Not Being Hospitalized From COVID Arctic Ocean Warming Began Already In Early 20th Century, Meaning Natural Factors Strongly At Play THE USELESSNESS OF SOLAR ENERGY In Minnesota? Poll: 90% of Chicago Public School Teachers Would Go Back to Virtual Learning. The union is preparing to strike if its demands are not met. A Compendium Of Hate Crime Hoaxes: Jussie Smollett’s Was Just The Tip Of The Iceberg Friday, December 31. 2021Friday morning linksBe careful driving around tonight. Lots of idiots out there A Neuroscientist Prepares for Death - Lessons my terminal cancer have taught me about the mind ‘What Is a Woman?’ Jeopardy! Contestant Crowned Highest-Earning “Female” In Show’s 57-Year History, Is Actually A Man Professor of color denied funding for cutting-edge laser research due to ‘insufficient’ equity, diversity and inclusion enthusiasm Book: Debunking Howard Zinn Pulitzer Center Helps 1619 Project Teachers Subvert Laws Banning Racism The American Psychological Association No Longer Represents Good Science or Clinical Practice: An Open Letter on My Resignation from the APA COVID Deaths Fall as Omicron Wave Fails to Deliver Washington state looks to reduce sentences for drive-by shootings for "racial equity" NYPD Kicks Out Mom, Upset Child From Applebee’s Over Vaccine Cards, Arrest Others COVID testing has become ridiculous and even counterproductive Chris Hayes: We shouldn't reorient our lives around something that looks like the flu The mainstream media's top 10 missteps in 2021. Media pundits and publications spun on inflation, critical race theory, and more IRS reminds thieves, drug dealers to report their illegal income Thursday, December 30. 2021Thursday morning linksPatients with depression show increases in neuroplasticity and fewer clinical symptoms after a physical activity intervention West Coast Sees Record Snow, Climate Cult Does Their Normal Blame Game Re Didion: Right At the Beginning. Joan Didion’s obituarists largely ignore her early journalism for National Review under the stewardship of Frank Meyer. Campus cancel culture: Here are 135 higher education cancelations in 2021 How We Changed Our Minds in 2021 - Enes Kanter Freedom on his name. Ayaan Hirsi Ali on liberalism. Tim Urban on religion. Plus: Nellie Bowles, Ross Douthat, Chloé Valdary, Karol Markowicz, and Balaji Srinivasan. Never say die: Trump-Russia collusion theorists strike again U.S. shatters daily record for COVID cases, but... Traders Start Freaking Out Over Fresh Supply Chain Collapse As Covid Sweeps Across China Dalrymple: The Unavoidable Necessity to Make Judgments Axelrod: Can't anyone in this party do math? Erik Prince calls for upgrade of US hybrid conflict capabilities. Blackwater founder argues for the primacy of low-visibility, localized, deniable forces, backed by private sector efficiencies State Department ‘Actively Impeding’ Rescue Efforts as Afghanistan Fades from Spotlight, Vets Say Wednesday, December 29. 2021Wednesday morning linksUS records 151,915 new COVID infections thanks to Omicron surge - just 39,000 fewer than Christmas Day 2020 - but deaths have dropped by 72% Why are some people with Omicron testing negative for COVID? Unspeakable truths about racial inequality in America - GLENN LOURY The Year of Living Unreasonably- Ben Shapiro ‘Medicaid for All’ is rapidly becoming a reality in New York The Left (Unwittingly?) Spoofs Itself in Don’t Look Up Feminism Demolishes a Family The hunt for a GOP punching bag to succeed Meghan McCain 'The View' isn't going well China's disastrous one-child policy is finally starting to kick in Why China Got Away With It. It gave the world a deadly virus and took no responsibility for it — and the world shrugged it off. Tuesday, December 28. 2021Tuesday morning linksPhoto stolen from Ace E. O. Wilson dead at 92 A great scientist TikTok Moderators Sue After Being "Traumatized" By Content So change jobs NYC: Everywhere you look, it’s more and more spending and no positive results of any kind. New York surrenders to the woke revolution Fresh evidence the White House put teachers unions ahead of science on school COVID safety Duh The "Transgender Moment" Jumps the Shark. New York magazine elevates a journalist with a deeply troubled—and troubling—history to trans icon status This person has issues Dr. Fauci: Steer Clear of Large, Crowded New Year's Eve Parties I got no invitation this year Joe Biden's Surrender on COVID Gets More Embarrassing After the Receipts Emerge NASCAR driver Brandon Brown who inadvertently sparked 'Let's Go Brandon!' anti-Biden chant says he has been CANCELLED: Phrase has made it 'extremely difficult' for him to get sponsorship Poor guy never said it AMERICANS ARE VOTING WITH THEIR FEET—AGAINST BLUE STATES And bringing blue votes with them Former Boston College Student Pleads Guilty To Manslaughter After Encouraging Boyfriend To Commit Suicide Atlantic Senior Editor 'Let's Go Brandon' Analysis Is Hilariously Predictable Kamala: Our Democracy Is Doomed Without Federal Takeover Over Voting System KAMALA KEEPS DIGGING Nikole Hannah-Jones beclowns herself on Meet the Press Sorry, Hannah-Jones: Parents DO deserve a say in what their kids are taught Blasphemy in Pakistan is a bad idea How Venezuela pulled its oil production out of a tailspin How a victorious Bashar al-Assad is changing Syria. Sunnis have been pushed out by the war. The new Syria is smaller, in ruins and more sectarian Veteran leads Afghan evacuation push. Shawn VanDiver has worked full time to get U.S. allies out of danger Monday, December 27. 2021Disgusting
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Monday morning links
One good thing about The New York Times are their puzzle games Santa is a communist (video) New translation of ‘Bambi’ showcases tale as allegory on early Austrian antisemitism I Joined A Far-Right Group Of Moms. What I Witnessed Was Frightening. "I caught a gleam in the woman’s eye I didn’t like. Was there some flirtation with insurrection being suggested here?" Harvard and others nixing standardized tests reinforce privilege and harm minorities America Needs a Rebirth of Science What the 1619 Project Got Wrong San Francisco leaders approve mayor's emergency plan to combat crime, drugs in Tenderloin area COVID COMMON SENSE Chinese Commie Grinches Warn Christians Not to Celebrate Christmas Putin’s Ukraine ploy is all about fooling the folks back home Sunday, December 26. 2021How Bob Dylan Catapulted Folk Music, re-postedFrom today's LectionaryLuke 2:41-52 2:41 Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. 2:42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. 2:43 When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. 2:44 Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day's journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. 2:45 When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. 2:46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 2:47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 2:48 When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, "Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety." 2:49 He said to them, "Why were you searching for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?" 2:50 But they did not understand what he said to them. 2:51 Then he went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was obedient to them. His mother treasured all these things in her heart. 2:52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in years, and in divine and human favor. Saturday, December 25. 2021A Farmall Christmas card from your Maggie's Farm team (recycled, to help heal the planet)
A Merry Christmas and a happy holiday season to all of our readers and to all of our contributors, with thanks for being part of our humble Yankee enterprise (No innocent trees were murdered for this card to compensate for murdering our Christmas tree) I've been to a bunch of parties and some fancy parties this season, and heard some great music too, but the best was a neighborhood caroling get-together Friday night - adults and kids. Good food and drinks with around an hour of singing practice around the piano (divvying up the voices of the wise men, the soloist for O Holy Night, etc), then out tramping around and driving around in the dark to our target audiences. Shut-ins, an old friend and WW 2 Navy vet with Alzheimer's, guys on the job, friendly families. Mrs. BD feels that this neighborhood event is the most Christmassy thing we ever do. I can guarantee that none of the kids who participate will ever forget it. Maybe they will pass it on when they grow up. Hope so. Fine traditions of family, friends, community, and faith do matter because they become embedded in our souls like little candlelights, lighting our dark corners through our entire lives. O holy Child of Bethlehem
For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.
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